Articles and News

The most successful industrial producers are adept at quickly altering their operation in response to constantly changing market demands.

The best time to train operators for an automation project is after acceptance testing and prior to startup.

IoT gateway carries remote monitoring and big data analysis into effect, bringing enterprises great value for money with reduced machine downtime, significant energy savings, and increased operational efficiency.

Windesco, based in Boston, is a hardware/software solutions provider for wind-power assets. The company uses proprietary algorithms to optimize asset performance and extend asset life in the wind industry.

ADLINK will be highlighting its Modular Industrial Cloud Architecture, providing demonstrations for edge and NFV computing based on the modular platform and vCPE using Wind River Titanium Server, as well as hardware and/or software from partners Brocade, RiverBed, CheckPoint and netElastic.

By Jonathan Wilkins, EU Automation Innovation is the driver of progress in industrial automation. This article discusses a few key technologies that will shape industrial automation in the year ahead.

Signal Fire’s Remote Sensing System(SFRSS) helps Wellkeeper resolve many of the problems associated with manual gauges and wired remote monitoring systems.

4DSP designs and manufactures digital signal processing and data acquisition solutions based on FPGA technology to address the requirements of aerospace, defense, biomedical, communications and semiconductor applications.

A new intelligent approach for adaptive control of a nonlinear dynamic system.

In this on-demand webinar, Dell and SAP will discuss the shift of maintenance practices from reactive and preventative to predictive in order to reduce unnecessary planned maintenance, unexpected downtime and lost productivity.

As Managing Director, Brian Backenstose has operational authority over the Americas division of Aegis Operations which include North and South America.

MindSphere enables industrial enterprises to improve the efficiency of plants through the acquisition and analysis of large quantities of production data.

The environmental protection solution is being provided as part of an upgrade to the burner management systems at the core of the plant's refining processes.

By Shmulik Aran, NextNine This article, the fourth and final article in a series on OT security management for the manufacturing industry, will discuss a top down approach for protecting ICS systems

MICA’s modular Open Source Software Architecture makes it a solution for developing edge and cloud applications in production. The first EtherCAT production model will be available at the beginning of 2017.

The new subsidiary, located in Dresden, Germany, employs 25 people and effective immediately, will operate under the name of “Weidmuller Monitoring Systems”.

By Robert Harrison, COPA-DATA Biopharmaceuticals represent the fastest growing sector of the pharmaceutical industry, making up about 20 per cent of the market. Annual growth rates of the biopharma subsector are around eight per cent - double that of more traditional pharmaceutical sectors.

Werum’s PAS-X will be implemented as full-scope MES out of the box replacing a legacy MES. It will support efficient operations in the production departments for parenteral and solid forms as well as in the R&D department.

There are three aspects to consider when building a panel around an adjustable frequency drive: application, wiring, and commissioning.

The partnership is intended to fulfill their shared vision of incorporating additive manufacturing into the traditional manufacturing workflow, to benefit multiple industries, including automotive, transportation, energy and industrial tooling.

The fully automated deep freeze warehouse will be built in Wielsbeke (90 km West of Brussels) on a 25-hectare lot. Alongside the storage facilities, Agristo is also erecting production buildings and green zones.

Samsung SDS and Cyberbit will collaborate to deploy Cyberbit’s SCADAShield, a deep-packet inspection system, optimized for ICS/SCADA networks, in the Korean market.

CanWEA's 32nd Annual Conference and Exhibition attracted 1,676 registrants and hosted 126 international exhibitors, covering 23,200 square feet of exhibition space at the BMO Center in Calgary, Alberta from November 1-3.

Synchronous speed in RPM = (two × frequency × 60) / (number of poles)

Infor’s set of applications running on a hyper-scale cloud with data science and design provide a foundation for modernizing companies in healthcare, fashion, retail, distribution, public sector, and discrete and process manufacturing.

BgB Supply announces the addition of Hoffman enclosures to their product offering.

By Mark Humphlett, Infor The fast pace of change creates many challenges for manufacturers, including difficulty in keeping the workforce up to date on new tactics and industry-wide emerging strategies.

The goal of the port information portal is to improve data-flow between cargo owners, shipping lines and other stakeholders so that port and terminal operators have an extended window of time to track inbound cargo.

The eStart app is a fully integrated feature of MAVERICK’s SureStart solution for startup and commissioning. With SureStart, MAVERICK construction managers, technicians and electricians work in parallel with construction efforts to minimize downtime, enhance reliability and finish ahead of schedule.

Red Lion’s industrial RTUs are designed to enable system integrators, municipalities, engineering firms and network integrators to benefit from cellular connectivity.

The goal is an infrastructure that gives customers secure methods to capture and aggregate data, so that it can be leveraged by using analytics from a vast ecosystem of equipment vendors and process licensors.

Many applications will operate properly when using Plug and Play (PnP) switches. Consider the PnP switches as “smart” terminal blocks that you supply power to, plug in RJ-45 connectors with CAT5 cable and devices begin to communicate without any intervention by you. Remember, with a PnP switch,

AMT will work with NIMS to increase access to apprenticeships and assist employers in developing new programs that reach diverse talent pools. As part of this initiative, $500,000 is available to support companies in establishing a registered apprenticeship program with the Department of Labor.

Study results indicate nearly 40 percent of surveyed manufacturing companies were affected by cyber incidents in the past 12 months, and 38 percent of those impacted indicated cyber breaches resulted in damages in excess of $1 million.

If enacted and signed into law, these policies are intended to strengthen the nation’s manufacturing sector by stimulating greater innovation, increasing productivity and expanding the competitiveness of American companies.

Young people welcome career guidance and encouragement from ISA professionals participating in Automation Appreciation Month programs and events.

The platform enhancements, acquisitions and new ISV partner program further complement the Predix technology stack and make it easier for industrial companies to execute a strategic digital transformation to drive internal productivity.

Wood Group is currently providing process control systems detailed engineering, procurement and fabrication services for ExxonMobil Chemical’s multi-billion dollar expansion project at the Baytown and Mont Belvieu plants near Houston.

The objective of the Enterprise SCADA software agreement is to enable the company to achieve greater efficiency in its operations while continuing to deliver value.

By Victor Polyakov, Tibbo Systems This whitepaper is an introduction AggreGate IoT Platform-based products. In 2010, two years after AggreGate Network Manager release, Tibbo started AggreGate SCADA/HMI project ‒ fourth-generation SCADA system.

According to the IHS Markit Materials Handling Automation Opportunities Report, the compound-average annual growth rate (CAGR) of AGV revenues is forecast to be over nine percent from 2015 to 2020, much higher than for industrial trucks and lifts over the same time period.

By Jonathan Wilkins, Marketing Director, EU Automation The Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 are two terms that have dominated industry in the last couple of years. While some may consider the two trends to be simply buzzwords, others believe them to be a concise description of the future of automated production.

Carpenter is responsible for leading GE's automation controls strategy. Prior to this position, Carpenter was Chief of Product Strategy for GE Intelligent Platforms’ Software and Services business.

Industrial Internet is a guidebook for people who need to fully understand factory floor Ethernet and features new sections on Industrial Internet of Things

The MES software was chosen to implement an intelligent paperless documentation system and real-time data analysis for increasing yield and enhancing traceability.

Working on behalf of ABB, IdeaHub will help successful applicants pitch their ideas and secure tailored support packages to maximize their venture’s commercial potential, including funding, R&D expertise, customers and markets or a funded concept acceleration sprint.

Vorih's priority will be to transform OMEGA from the provider of process sensors into a web-based global partner for complete process measurement and control solutions

Gainco had strict requirements when it came to choosing an industrial touchscreen computer. After considering different options, Gainco chose the noax S15 PC with the N11 mainboard.

The book serves as an excellent reference tool on networking in industrial environments. Best-practice recommendations for installation, maintenance, security, and troubleshooting are clearly outlined.

The Sightline solution is capable of capturing and analyzing millisecond level data in manufacturing environments. Sightline’s software leverages commodity class hardware yet can capture and visualize sub second data in real time.

HARTING and Arrow have agreed to expand their partnership to include EMEA and APAC. Arrow Electronics has been a HARTING distributor in North America for 22 years.

Schneider Electric’s Enterprise APM platform helps companies in the power, oil and gas, water/wastewater, metals, mining and minerals, and other industries close the loop between business and operations in an end-to-end platform that allows for open integration.

The online training brings together the combined knowledge, best practices and application-specific expertise of three industry leaders to help engineers build a holistic IP-based network architecture.

The two organizations will explore opportunities to combine expertise to simplify the development and deployment of lighting and building automation systems based on a common, IP-based network infrastructure.

The free eBook titled "Becoming a Cybersecurity Expert" is intended to provide a career strategy and answer common questions for professionals and students who are contemplating a career in cybersecurity.

eXelsius will manage the French-speaking areas of Switzerland (cantons: Genève, Jura, Neuchâtel et Vaud) while neutec electronic ag will manage the German and Italian-speaking areas and share responsibilities for Berne, Fribourg, and Valais.

ISA standards, when blended in a comprehensive manner, can form the basis of a successful and future-proof automation strategy.

Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Co., Ltd. (BSR) will use Honeywell’s CPS technology which integrates Honeywell UOP’s deep process knowledge to improve refinery and plant performance at its naphtha complex.

The DENSO Robotics product catalog features the company's range of four-axis SCARA and five- and six-axis articulated robots for payloads up to 20 kg. Reaches are from 350 to 1,300 mm and repeatability to within +/-0.015 mm

This innovation centre is dedicated to research and technology transfer for supply-chain companies in the aerospace, automotive and rail sectors.

The best way to avert the ground loop in this question is to ground the shield at only one end of the circuit.

The machine vision industry in Germany and Europe is predicted to record an 8 percent increase in turnover in 2016.

HANNOVER MESSE welcomes roughly 50 startups at group exhibits sponsored by government institutions or other organizers as well as 30 startups that participate in the fair as individual exhibitors.

JTAG Maps is an extension to the Altium Designer tool suite that allows the user/engineer to assess the capabilities of the JTAG/boundary-scan resources on their design - before committing to layout.

A UPS is not always an optimal power protection solution due to its high purchase price, low-power conversion efficiency & high cost.

In order to reduce nonconforming batches, improve quality and meet customer expectations, Whitmore decided to automate its lubricant making process and gain access to real-time information from the facility floor.

Using an application with the LBR iiwa from KUKA, engineering students no longer stack Lego bricks themselves. Instead, they leave this task to the sensitive seven-axis lightweight robot.

By Alan Grau, Icon Labs Internet-based attacks are on the rise and, increasingly, these attacks target IoT devices like DVRs, web cams, and appliances. What are you doing to protect your connected devices?

By Thomas R. Cutler, Manufacturing Media Consortium The notions of safety and profitability are not mutually exclusive. This article discusses cost-effective ways how automation can help facilitate your organizational safety

In-vehicle driving tests for evaluating performance & diagnostic functionalities of engine control systems are often time-consuming and expensive.

Unlike traditional SCADA system deployments, PPI's system will utilize PPI's secure, private network architecture to deliver a high-performance hosted application suite to Member Cooperatives from a centralized system.

Teledyne DALSA will exhibit its industrial vision solutions in Booth 1562 at the Rockwell Automation Fair taking place November 9-10 at Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA

The event gave local high school students the opportunity to tour CGR’s facility and learn how CNC machining and modern manufacturing play an important role in racing as well as a number of industries.

Rotary angle sensors market is expected to contribute highest growth rate during the period of forecast, Rotary angle sensors market is expected to lead the global position sensors, rotary angle sensors are primarily driven by the increasing industrial automation

Global IT Robotic Automation Market: Rising Demand across Emerging Economies to Help Market Exhibit a Staggering 47.1% CAGR 2016-2024

A timer preset for a PLC is a programming value for the timing function.

By Bill Lydon, Automation.com Cisco Live 2016 afforded the opportunity to discuss the necessity of IT/OT convergence in an IIoT environment with World Wide Technology's Don Rogers.

The event, “Outperform in an uncertain market,” will focus on the oil, gas and chemicals industry and will take place November 10, 2016, 11:00 am-4:00 pm EST. The online conference is free to attend.

Together with an expert panel of judges, the Fraunhof Institute for Production Technology (IPT) and the Aachen RWTH Tool Machine Laboratory (WZL) came up with a list of the best tool and mould production businesses across four categories based on a detailed comparison, also making on-site visits.

In the current project, Danieli Centro Combustion made use of the new DATAPAQ Insight Basic software, which comprises all essential visualization, analysis, and reporting functions.

During this year’s PACK EXPO, attendees will have the opportunity to explore Rexroth technologies on the Innovation Tour. With demonstrations available in the Rexroth booth as well as select customer booths, the tour highlights a number of Rexroth’s Industry 4.0, Safety on Board, Open Core Engineering and 4EE capabilities.

The LaserGuardian from SICK and The HawkEye Effect software provides the ability to know the exact location of an intrusion and pinpoint it on an overview of the facility or interior blueprint.

Focus SB, a UK-based manufacturer of bespoke electrical accessories, evaluated several ERP solutions, but chose Epicor ERP as it felt it was the only available software application on the market that suited the company's business needs.

The motor, which provides the plant with finely ground coal dust to meet the plant's primary energy needs, is operated in a hazardous area classified as zone 22.

As a result of the transaction, the KION Group will start managing its business and reporting financials by three segments in December 2016: Industrial Trucks and Services, Supply Chain Solutions and Corporate Services.

This year, five individuals were presented with awards at the recent ISA Leaders Meeting by Nicholas P. Sands of DuPont, the 2015-16 Vice President of ISA’s S&P Department.

This pre-recorded webinar is designed to explain how to add and program EtherNet/IP products when using EDS files, and some short cuts that this simplified approach provides.

By Bill Lydon, Automation.com Industrial Ethernet networks are critical to implement IIoT technologies, and uptime is essential for essential production. Using a systems approach, Cisco's Industrial Network Director aims to simplify the management of EtherNET/IP and PROFINET networks.

The record sales levels were driven primarily by strong growth in demand from automotive OEMs and component suppliers. Robot orders from these two sectors were up 14% through September.

By providing 3D CAD models, approved and certified by their suppliers, directly into TopSolid via a web service, CADENAS and Missler Software allow designers to produce their projects more quickly.

An IIoT-ready PLC should optimize operations and maintenance efficiencies to liberate personnel from manual processes.

The facility provides access to FCI engineering and technical support, local spare parts inventory and supply, repair and re-calibration services, factory certified field service personnel, client product and service training, site dispatching and on-site installation and start-up assistance.

Under the terms of the agreement, Emerson will sell IPRES’s flagship solutions IPRISK and IPRESOURCE to its existing and prospective customer base.

Student teams use Fluke Connect wireless tools and software to collaborate and solve real-world operational problems. The first place team and its advisor will receive an all-expenses paid trip to visit Fluke Park for three days and two nights plus $3,500 worth of Fluke tools for the school’s department.

Mr. Bianchi is charged with managing Hannover Fairs North American portfolio of exhibitions & conferences, currently covering the renewable energy, industrial technology, and commercial vehicle segments.

By Thomas J. Schoepf, Belden With answers to some of the more common questions about industrial Ethernet, teams can explore and design solutions, confident that they can deploy an optimal communication network for their organization.

Strategically located in the Cincinnati metropolitan area, this 3,300 square-foot office adds greater local sales and engineering presence for customers in Ohio and the Great Lakes region.

Schneider Electric and MaxEAM have a long standing business relationship working together to deliver customer projects on a global scale.

You can live stream any meeting or event with a smartphone, a good WiFi connection and an account at one of the popular social media platforms.

The presentations will focus on how technology suppliers are working to help food and beverage manufacturers meet FSMA requirements. The in-booth presentation will be delivered at the SICK booth by Erik Phillips, US Director of Sales and Business Development at AutoCoding Systems.

Okuma is the first CNC machine tool builder to earn the latest ISO certification. This standard is based on a number of quality management principles including a strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach and continual improvement

Honeywell recognized the achievements eight partners for customer service, innovation and excellence in supplying and integrating Honeywell products and solutions in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA)

Jack Lee succeeds Mike Granby, who served as President of Red Lion for seventeen years, and is leaving the company to pursue other entrepreneurial projects.

The company was acquired from the St. Louis based private equity firm of Thompson Street Capital Partners. The sale was completed on Friday, September 23, 2016.

A DCS is that class of instrumentation that executes stated control functions and enables transmission of control, measurement and operating information.

Phillips-Medisize will operate as an indirect subsidiary of Molex, LLC. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Phillips-Medisize focuses on medical solutions that include drug delivery, mobile and portable medical devices, and pharmaceutical packaging

The goal of the pilot was to collect information on the line’s bulk-powder process – including event-based data on when production stopped, started, faulted or went into a different state – to ensure operators focused on the correct machine problems during downtime events.

Operational Certainty is a technology and engineering-based program designed to help industrial companies achieve top performance and recover more than $1 trillion in operational losses globally.

The goal of this collaboration is creation of an infrastructure that gives customers secure methods to capture and aggregate data, so that it can be leveraged by using analytics and applying a range of domain knowledge from equipment vendors and process licensors.

By John Morse, IHS Markit The latest IHS market report on Industrial Ethernet estimated that the world revenue growth 2014 to 2015 was a healthy 10.1 percent but forecasts this will fall to 4.5 percent, 2015 to 2016. However, the horizon looks brighter for 2017 and beyond

Industrial robots are used for a wide variety of functions, including milling, cutting and processing, materials handling, assembling and disassembling, soldering and welding, and painting and dispensing.

When drilling operations are completed, Statoil’s Valemon platform, located on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, will become a periodically-manned installation and Statoil’s first platform that will be operated from shore

One of the biggest drivers that prompted a search for a new ERP system was the need to interact with other systems across the company, in addition to providing dashboards and complete functionality between front office and the shop floor.

For coupling CodeMeter smartcard-chip-based protection, licensing, and security features with NAND flash mass storage, Wibu-Systems takes advantage of Hyperstone’s Application Programming Interface (API), which allows the addition of proprietary firmware extensions to existing Hyperstone firmware.

Mustafa Nevzat Pharmaceuticals has successfully taken Werum’s PAS-X Weighing & Dispensing into operation at their main manufacturing site in Istanbul, Turkey.

The relationship will combine RSA's RSA Archer GRC Suite of business risk management solutions with and TÜV Rheinland’s and OpenSky's expertise in information and technology risk management, and cybersecurity consulting, to deliver enterprise risk management solutions

Mr. von Hollen was most recently the Executive President of the Engineering Solutions Division, which includes the Automation and Controls business of Bilfinger SE

By Lee Sullivan, COPA-DATA UK This article explores three data integrity pitfalls to which pharmaceutical manufacturers are most vulnerable, and shares how to avoid these costly obstacles.

Cloud computing simplifies industrial systems administration and support and the analytics can be levered for improving process operations.

Simantec Automation has expanded their branch offices in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil, as an official distributor partner of Antaira, in order to provide local industrial device networking support and services to industrial markets

Mitr Phol Sugar Corp is the largest sugar producer in Thailand today, the biggest in Asia and the world’s fourth largest, producing 2 million tons of sugar a year from its various plants.

Under the motto “No Limits. Go Beyond Safety,” HIMA Paul Hildebrandt is presenting comprehensive solutions comprising hardware, software and services at this year’s edition of SPS IPC Drives. On November 22-24 at Stand 440 in Hall 9, trade fair visitors can learn about the benefits provided by comprehensive solutions for TMC, BCS and PMC.

Turning Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) concepts into reality for manufacturing enterprises will be a key topic at Honeywell Process Solutions’ (HPS) 28th annual Honeywell Users Group (HUG) for Europe, Middle East, Africa and India regions.

Canadian and international wind and renewable energy experts will gather at this year’s event, co-hosted by Hannover Fairs, on November 1-3, 2016 at the BMO Center in Calgary, Alberta.

ISA's Excellence in Leadership Award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the industry and/or profession to advance automation.

The Ignition Firebrand Awards recognize system integrators and industrial organizations that use the Ignition software platform to create innovative new projects.

The Viseu Sul WWTP in Portugal’s Viseu County is the first in the country to adopt advanced membrane filtration (MBR) wastewater treatment technology.

Working together with customers from both the discrete manufacturing and process industry, Siemens is developing new solutions for plant and production processes. In the specially created “MindSphere Lounge”, visitors will also have the chance to experience the IoT ecosystem live in a unique atmosphere.

The acquisition adds to Schneider Electric’s process automation portfolio that already includes Foxboro plant instrumentation, Foxboro and PlantStruxure PES process automation systems, Modicon PAC systems and Triconex safety systems.

By Bert Baeck, TrendMiner This article discusses multiple ways to both stay afloat and take advantage of the ocean of data that is flooding the IIoT automation world.

Internet of Things’ (IoT) Promise of Operational Efficiency to Stir up Sizeable Demand from Industrial Sector

Technical discussion of a shunt active power filter for power quality improvement in harmonics and reactive power compensation in a distribution network.

With the hot topics of Industry 4.0, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), intelligent automation and so forth emerging into the market, factory machines and equipment will become connected to upload field data to back-end servers or cloud networks.

Dr. Jef Beerten from KU Leuven, Belgium, receives a US $ 300,000 grant over the next three years for ongoing research at the forefront of energy technology.

HIROTEC selected Kepware’s KEPServerEX connectivity software and the ThingWorx IoT Platform to enable company-wide device-to-cloud connectivity through one overarching toolset.

The webinar, which will be held November 17 from 12-1:30 PM EST, will feature three automation experts: Nicole Meidl, Product Management Engineer, Emerson; Ned Espy, Technical Director at Beamex; and Roy Tomalino, Calibration Engineer at Beamex.

A US-based specialist in the supply of complete electrical packages for oil rig cranes is using Control Techniques AC and DC drives as part of a $500,000+ order involving the upgrade of 10 LeTourneau cranes.

As part of the exhibition floor at The Assembly Show, with over 260 exhibitors, Nordson EFD (Booth 821) will feature live demonstrations of several repeatable fluid dispensing solutions for manufacturing assembly.

By Kevin Terwilliger, Dell This article discusses ways to utilize advanced IoT technology to enable successful predictive maintenance models for their facility.

The Jubail-ISA Training Center brings ISA’s globally recognized automation and control instruction—as well as its certification review and certificate program courses—to Jubail Industrial City, home to one of the world’s most advanced industrial and engineering complexes.

AbraxSys' new line of 19" tough LCD displays, address a growing need for higher durability than typically accomplished by other industry display providers. This new industrial LCD line features 450 nits, SXGA 1280 x 1024 resolution, genuine industrial grade TFT boards, broadened operational temperature ranges, a large array of inputs including VGA, DVI, S-Video. DisplayPort, HDMI, and Composite, and a large array of mechanical configuration choices and add-ons.

NV Series Replaces obsolete belt-driven valve actuators with gear-style design actuator at less than 10% of the cost of OEM’s replacement option

The two teams of experts came together to investigate effective protection mechanisms for different types of threats and implement a set of system safeguards for the DFKI prototype production line at SmartFactoryKL.

From 16 - 18 September, KUKA was represented by the LBR iiwa at the Robodonien robot art festival.

The university in Stuttgart combines bionic investigations with innovative robotic manufacturing methods

At Hannover Messe 2016, KUKA Roboter GmbH signed a memorandum of understanding with ITW Welding, a leading North American manufacturer of welding Equipment.

Molex, Inc. provides two CC-Link certified PCI-Express interface products that are designed to work as a complete solution including full and half height boards for Industrial CC-Link Network interface

By Harold Schaevitz, Alliance Sensors Group The second article, of a three part series, examines the strengths and weaknesses of industrial position-sensing technologies, and presents a comparison chart of their specification parameters together with a brief explanation of what those specifications mean

The International Society of Automation (ISA) serves as an alliance partner of the event, which takes place 24-27 October at the Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center.

Porter, 51, joins Apex Tool Group after holding senior executive roles at both Newell Brands and Chamberlain Industries, including general management, finance, corporate development and investor relations

Based in Houston, Benard will have senior management responsibility for ValvTechnologies’ Manufacturing groups, leading the achievement of production, safety, as well as spearheading manufacturing process continuous improvements.

This combination of technology and 24-hour technical support will ensure that the automated control systems that Edrington uses to operate the new plant function properly, so that production remains on track

By Shmulik Aran, NextNine The third in a series of four articles on OT security management for manufacturing enterprises, this article further discusses the merger of information technology networks and operational technology infrastructure.

The companies intend to deliver “LFM Netview” laser scan visualisation and “AVEVA NET” information management solutions on the AEGEX10 Intrinsically Safe Tablet.

Managing infrequent operational procedures is critical to the safe and efficient operation of continuous process manufacturing.

By Chuck Karwoski, CimQuest INGEAR LineView needed a software solution to connect its system to the programmable logic controllers (PLCs) found on the factory floor. To make this connection, they chose CimQuest INGEAR PLC drivers.

Tibbo, one of the World’s leading IoT solutions providers, has become an Official Sponsor of International IoT Exhibition and Conference once again.

The original version 1.0 was published 2 years ago. With a better user interface and better usability, users can specify function blocks that deal with a “List” feature, and work easier with sets of data like variables or nodes.

ISA is creating a continuous improvement culture that sets a framework for sustainable growth and relevance.

By Rick Zabel, Automation.com The results of this year’s salary survey are in, and while salaries did increase a little, the increase wasn’t the step change we had hoped. Yet, the signs are showing change is on the way

Looking to increase production of critical aviation industry products, Spirit AeroSystems will implement Efficiency Analyzer on Predix, GE’s operating system for the Industrial Internet.

Visitors to the Beckhoff booth will have the opportunity to use their own smartphones to interact with PC-based control demos. Beckhoff will also show an augmented reality and HMI proof of concept in the form of Microsoft HoloLens connected to Beckhoff IoT demos.

Expanding on the inaugural IoT Innovation Day held earlier this year on the west coast, the companies will share strategies and key insights and lead open discussions targeted at helping businesses embrace the benefits of IIoT computing on the edge, on October 19

The increasing availability of the tools that facilitate higher levels of manufacturing productivity and quality creates an opportunity for manufacturers to embrace a fresh mindset and leverage prevention and traceability regulations to improve safety, increase revenue, and elevate brand reputation.

By Jennifer Dyment, AspenTech We all want the inside story. Greater visibility into asset performance can help chemical and energy companies gain a competitive edge. This article discusses how process engineers can quickly get to the root cause of operational issues and make informed decisions that impact the entire operation

The Fluke Connect Assets app integrates into the company’s SaaS platform that permits Fluke tool users to receive, store, visualize, and report electronic measurement data from more than 40 Fluke Connect wireless test tools.

A&T ROBOTIC WORLD (3-4-5 May 2017), will take place in Turin - Italy in a large modern exhibition hall of 20,000 square meters. Two main focuses: Robotics, dedicated to the production technologies and automation and controls, dedicated to the technologies and measurement services, testing and control.

The core of NUM’s cylindrical grinding CNC solutions is a software package known as ProCAM. ProCAM software is designed primarily to address the requirements of OD, ID or OD/ID with either a horizontal or vertical machine layout.

West Liberty Foods, based in West Liberty, Iowa, saved $2 million in maintenance costs with Leading2Lean through greater visibility to where money is being spent on materials and employee time.

The combination of Mentor Embedded technologies and the RTI Connext DDS (Data Distribution Service) middleware now provides security for secure distributed embedded systems communications, suitable for industrial, medical and mil-aero applications.

Read this complete roundup of ISA education and training programs for November and December 2016.

An actuator is a hydraulic, electric, or pneumatic device that moves an object or device.

Does building electrical control panels drain time and resources from your core business? The decision to outsource can be challenging for companies that have never chosen a panel shop before, or were burned by bad partnerships in the past. Knowing what to look for in a panel building partner can make outsourcing painless.

Fuyao Glass America, an OEM glass supplier to the world's top automotive brands, deployed 130 IceStation Titan computer enclosures.

Manufacturing sector in recent years have largely emphasized on the development of the functions and adopting processes that are precise, efficient and safe. Use of robots have become an integral part, particularly in packaging operations at production facilities, on the backdrop of facility operators urge to boost production efficiency.

Under the terms of the agreement, Schneider Electric will implement its Modicon M580 programmable automation controller (ePAC) platform to help the VSFCD continue to improve the quality wastewater and flood control services it provides to the people of the district.

Through Assurance 360, plants have reduced overall incidents by as much as 40 percent, improving uptime and productivity. The program can also help facilities reduce production waste by up to 30 percent, cutting operating expenses and increasing output.

Plant construction and upgrade projects often fall behind schedule, because the people managing them do not know how to keep them moving.

The app is intended for use with SeaI/O Ethernet and wireless I/O modules, as well as Sealevel’s eI/O Ethernet and PoE compact I/O modules.

Microscan, in collaboration with its distribution partner Axis New England, will demonstrate vision-guided robotics using the Universal Robots collaborative UR3 robotic arm and Microscan’s MicroHAWK imaging platform, an Ethernet smart camera, released this summer 2016.

By Jeff Hussey, Tempered Networks Today’s industrial control systems (ICS) represent critical operational assets across many organizations and industries. Connecting and safeguarding these vital networks is critical to improving operational efficiency, while maintaining the safety of our communities and the personnel who work with these ICS systems.

Maket Research Engine added new report "Global IT Robotic Automation Market (RPA Tools and RPA Services) - By Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2022". Also MRE offering 50% discount on this report.

M.A.C. Solutions installed ProcessVue Collector software at both ends of the pipe. The collector has the function of sucking the data out of the local SCADA database.

August 2016 manufacturing technology orders were valued at $336.58 million, compared to $250.40 million in July and $290.29 million in August 2015. Year-to-date orders for 2016 stand at $2,431.93 million, a 12.8 percent decline compared to the same point in 2015.

The event included several popular hands-on activities and games which provided first-hand experience for kids and adults to learn how sensors and automation work to improve manufacturing outcomes

For 2017, the economists are forecasting a 3.6 percent increase in machine tool consumption worldwide. EMO Hannover, from September 18-23, 2017, will host some of the leading machine tool manufacturers in the world.

Soffass produces a range of products including Regina, as well as a wide selection of other products aimed at the global consumer tissue paper market. The company is a long-term user of Control Techniques variable speed drives

By Cory Fogg, Automation.com A future lacking in skilled laborers has been a dark cloud looming ahead of the manufacturing industry for several years now, but some major corporations are already working to alleviate the shortage.

Understanding what influences accurate web tension control & taking correct actions is critical to achieving high product quality and machine performance.

Determining whether to use in-house staff to perform maintenance or to outsource to a contractor is a source of continual headaches for many a company. The decision-making process will come down to three approaches to maintenance management

Nordson ASYMTEK's latest innovation in jetting technology, the IntelliJet Jetting System, expands the capabilities of jet dispensing for manufacturing advanced semiconductor and mobile electronics packages.

As a result of the collaboration, VIMANA will bring an expanded solution set for multivendor and legacy industrial asset connectivity, enriched data, and analytics.

ISA's CAP certification provides a non-biased, third-party, objective assessment and confirmation of an automation professional's skills

Rockwell will host an educational session at their booth on each day of the event. Located in Booth N-4570, Rockwell Automation presentations will focus on track and trace, remote monitoring and smart machines.

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) requires technology that solves the interoperability challenges of device connectivity. Kepware's Connected System Integrators implement and optimize the portfolio of industrial connectivity software developed by Kepware.

Connected into a PE.AMI wireless mesh network, B4-L sensors allow to collect data about parking spaces and elaborate them through an exclusive parking management software, which SPEL implemented for this specific project.

Fahey is CEO of SAGE Automation, a CSIA Certified control system integrator in Melrose Park, Australia. He will finish the term vacated by board member Diane Trentini (Optimation), who resigned as the result of a career change.

The Asia-Pacific market will grow the fastest over the next five years, driven by the Indian and Southeast Asian markets and a recovering Chinese market . The American region is expected to be the second-fastest growing market, with a strong recovery starting in 2017.

Winners are recognized for their editorial contributions to a wide range of ISA publications, including ISA books; InTech, ISA’s bi-monthly magazine for automation and control professionals; and ISA Transactions, ISA’s bi-monthly professional journal dedicated to the science and engineering of measurement and automation.

ABB is shaping and focusing its divisional structure into four divisions: Electrification Products, Robotics and Motion, Industrial Automation and Power Grids, effective January 1, 2017.